I can’t remember another time when having an American accent provoked as much immediate hostility from Brits of every race, creed, class, and sexual orientation. If you’re an American, overseas, in the fall of 2003, you’ve got a lot to answer for.

If I could fake a British accent with any skill, I would now. It would save a lot time….

It’s easy to hate Americans today, as the United States plays the global role Great Britain once did, opening new markets for investment, maintaining access to valuable commodities, and crushing anyone who poses a serious threat to the world order.

“crushing anyone who poses a serious threat to the world order.”
Is that supposed to be an insult? Right now I would like to see the threats to our lives, at the very least, crushed.

Mike G

So shouldn’t he be hating the Brits back for having once been that?

http://www.gapingvoid.com hugh macleod

OK, I said it about Michael Moore, I’ll say it about him. This is a guy who makes a living giving permission to other people to indulge in their own anti-paternalism. And the more of his products they buy, the more permission he gives. Supply and demand.
Too many wedgies at summer camp, if you ask me…

Mark

That’s funny. I was in London three times on business this year (May, June and July) and I never encountered any hostility at all. And I’m a 6’2 Texan in cowboy boots. I’m an obvious American, especially when I open my mouth. In Westminster, Croydon, Surrey, it didn’t matter. I like to people watch and I struck up conversations with people regularly with absolutely no problem.
Even in July, watching a soccer match at the local pub, I shared a table with five strangers. We talked about the war, the US, and soccer. We may have disagreed on some points but overall we had a great evening together.
Schlosser is just sucking up to his audience, the same way he did in his miserable book. Since most of my artist friends swore by it, I forced myself through to the end, laughing out loud on several occasions.

KMK

I agree with Mark. I’m in Europe once a month. I just got back from London. This is story is just crap. I went out with my friends to Old Bell, Olde Clock Tavern (both on Fleet Street, if I can remember correctly) and Coal Hole and a few others I can’t remember – too much ale. I’ve never had any problems in England, Spain or France. The only heated discussions have been over sports (in England). ” I love my country but not my government,” please. He should be ashamed of himself. Write him off as an idiot who is pandering to other idiots.

Tim

People like Schlosser, who slam the United States abroad to narrow but sympathetic audiences, just want the certainty of instant approval. They are self-indulgent, if not narcissistic, when they receive praise for such words, and cowardly for not engaging their countrymen and women in their own backyard. Very passive-aggressive.
As for what he says, he’s wrong about comparing Britain and the United States. These romantics crave story arcs of doomed, corrupt countries about to get their come-uppance, and mistake America’s genuine, liberating policies of free trade and rule of law for Britain’s late-empire policies of sucking its colonies dry. (Paul Kennedy’s “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers” was devoured and relished with glee by these folk when it first came out — too bad anointed challengers Japan and Germany lost the ball soon afterwards.)
Leftists hate the lifestyle of freedom encouraged by capitalism in every way. While environmentalists attack SUVs, and feminists attack sex, Schlosser goes after fast food. What a twit.

http://yourish.com/ Meryl Yourish

Mark Twain wrote about Americans Anglophilia in the nineteenth century. This chump can’t even get his facts straight.